Always
by CandyRain
Summary: Picks up right after episode 1x10, "The End of the Line." AU from there. Jane/Billy centric with no Zoe or Eli.
1. Chapter 1

Author's Note: I started this story right after 1x10 aired, but didn't finish it until after the final eight episodes aired/ABC Family announced the cancellation. Now that ABC Family (soon to be Freeform) has the full series available on their website and OnDemand, I thought old fans (and maybe some new ones) might enjoy a little more time with Jane and Billy.

Chapter 1

"I need to tell you something, Janie." Billy paused and rubbed his palms together before climbing up onto the runway. "I really have no idea how to say this, so I'm just gonna say it."

"What's going on?" Jane asked.

"It's you, Janie." Billy smiled as he spoke, anxious to see Jane's reaction.

She inhaled as she prepared to speak, but they were interrupted before she could respond. "Jane?"

Jane turned to face Jeremy standing at the far end of the runway, and then turned back to Billy. Billy saw the confusion in her expression, and his heart sank when her eyes slid away from him and she whispered an overwhelmed, "Wow."

Jane turned back to Jeremy and held up one finger, "Just a minute." Then she turned back to Billy and tried to paste on a calm smile. Few but him would have picked up on the tension in her voice or her nervous habit of rubbing the tips of her fingers over one another, but Billy Nutter was more than familiar with the quirks of Jane Quimby. "What is it, Billy?" she asked. "What were you gonna tell me?"

He swallowed hard, partly to moisten his suddenly dry mouth and partly to stall. "I, ah . . . ." His mind raced as the silence lengthened, growing more awkward. He tried again, "I . . . ." His desperate thoughts landed on the perfect nugget of info, courtesy of a cellphone app set to alert him to the social media activities of his contacts. "Valedictorian!" he blurted. "It's you! You did it, Jane!"

Her eyes widened and she broke into a genuine smile. "Seriously?! Really?!" She launched herself into his arms and clasped hers around his neck. She lifted her head from his shoulder and looked down at him as he held her up, feet dangling above the floor, "Wait, how'd you find out before me? Before Ben?"

"Lulu," he answered, rolling his eyes. "She posted a status about half an hour ago saying she got salutatorian. You two were the only ones in the running, if she's salutatorian that means you have to be valedictorian! You and Ben have been away from school and incommunicado most of the day; the school's probably planning to tell you on Monday."

Jane rested her forehead against his. "Can you believe this?" she asked smiling.

"Of course I can," he said. He lowered her to her feet, but his hands stayed at her waist and hers clasped his shoulders. "You're brilliant."

She grinned and shrugged her shoulders. She opened her mouth to speak, but was interrupted again, this time by a none-to-subtle clearing of the throat. Jane turned her head toward her impatient colleague, and then back to Billy, "I need to go help get things wrapped up here."

"That's ok. I understand," Billy reassured. "I just – I just wanted to be the one to tell you."

"Thanks, Billy" she said. She leaned forward to give him a kiss on the cheek before scurrying down the runway toward Jeremy.

Billy observed the interloper as the other man watched Jane move toward him. Billy realized then that he must have the same besotted and goofy expression when Jane was anywhere within his view, and he finally understood why his friendship with Jane had made Lulu so uncomfortable. Billy made eye contact with Jeremy just before Jane reached him, and silently gave him the same warning that he'd given to Nick, "Don't hurt her."


	2. Chapter 2

Chapter 2

"So who was that?" Jeremy asked Jane as he followed her down the stairs at the back of the runway. "The guy you thought was 'it?'"

"What?" Jane asked. With her mind trying to digest Ben's acquiescence, Gray's compliments, news of her academic honor, and Billy's questionable visit, she had been less than attentive to her companion's questions.

"That guy back there?" Jeremy asked.

"Oh!" Jane shook her head. "No, that's my friend Billy. He just wanted to give me some good news about, um, a side project he's been helping me with."

"Really?" Jeremy asked, not attempting to hide his skepticism. "He seemed –"

"So what's left to do?" Jane cut in, interrupting him unintentionally because she was still distracted by her thoughts. "Did Carter get all the outfits loaded onto the truck? Oh, and all the accessories? I need to find my phone; have you seen my purse?" Jane turned in circles as she spoke.

Jeremy caught hold of her hands to stop her, "Jane, hey, there's no need to worry. Everything's taken care of and Gray's gone home. You can relax."

"I, um, ok."

"Are you sure you're alright?" he asked. She nodded, but remained silent as Jeremy led her toward an empty chair at a make-up station. "You seem a bit out of it."

"Just a lot on my mind," Jane smiled. "I'm fine."

"Oh, ok," Jeremy said. He swiveled Jane's chair to face the opposite station and took the seat in front of her. "I was worried that you might be too distracted to join me for dinner tonight, but if you're fine. . . ." He let his words trail off as Jane's eyes widened.

"Jeremy, that's really sweet, but I –" She closed her eyes and shook her head. She wished for some reason or excuse to offer, but she came up with nothing. She didn't feel like she could say "yes," and the truth about her age was only part of the reason. She opened her eyes expecting to see an expression of disappointment, but instead she saw Jeremy wearing a knowing smile. "What?" she asked.

"You can't go to dinner with me because you can't stop thinking about whatever Billy said to you," he answered.

Jane shrugged. "Something like that . . . I guess."

"He's a lucky guy."

"No! It wasn't anything like that. We're not, you know, together or whatever."

Jeremy chuckled at her protests. "Whatever you talked about just now, and however you define what you two are, you've been a bundle of nerves since he turned up here and that makes me think that it's more than just two friends working on a 'project' together."

Jane opened her mouth to argue again, but closed it when she couldn't find the words. Jeremy smiled, stood, and kissed her on the cheek. "Good night, Jane. Good job today."

"Thanks, Jeremy."


	3. Chapter 3

Billy's follow-up hearing with Judge Pope was originally scheduled for the morning after the Donovan Decker show, but a scheduling conflict on the judge's docket had led to the hearing being postponed for some time. Over the next three weeks the school's official announcement of Jane Quimby as valedictorian and the requisite well-wishes, plus her work with Gray, Billy's meetings with his attorney, and the arrival of college decision letters served as decent distractions from the tension that had cropped up between the two friends.

It had been evident to both of them since the fashion show. Jane had called Billy the morning after, explaining that in all the excitement of the previous night she had forgotten to tell him that Ben was going to let her keep working at Donovan Decker. Billy had shared in her excitement. They had then discussed his hearing, his apprehensions about how the judge might punish him, and his worries about his brother, but they had both deftly avoided any mention of why Billy had really shown up at the fashion show or why Jane had looked so bewildered when he did. For the time being, they had each chosen to support one another as they always had and pretend that their friendship was still simple and uncomplicated.

"Five minutes, Jane, or we're gonna be late," Billy called from the couch.

"Coming," came Jane's muffled reply from her bedroom.

Billy stood as she crossed the threshold, and then watched, shocked, as she bolted into the bathroom and slammed the door behind her. He winced at the sound of retching from the other side of the door. He knocked lightly when he finally heard the toilet flush, "Janie? You okay?"

"Yeah," she answered, "but we're gonna be late for school."

"Are you sure you should go?" Billy asked. "If you wanna stay home, I can just tell Ben you're sick when I get there."

Jane cracked the door open. "I'll be fine. Note to self: yogurt & lemonade do not a wholesome breakfast make. Just let me brush my teeth again, and then I'll be ready." Rather than argue, Billy went back to the couch to wait. Moments later Jane emerged from the bathroom smiling, "See, good as new."

"If you say so," Billy mumbled. He slung her bag over his shoulder before she could reach for it and was treated to a defiant glare as he held the front door for her to pass.

XXXXXXXXXX

Jane closed her eyes and leaned her head against the locker next to Billy's while he collected his books. "You should go home," Billy insisted for what felt like the fiftieth time in the couple of hours since they had arrived at school.

"I'm fine," she sighed. She opened her eyes and stood up straight, hoping to illustrate her point. "'Really."

As she finished speaking, Ben rounded the corner and headed towards them. He clapped Billy on the shoulder and winked at Jane as he passed. Before Jane had time to roll her eyes at the awkwardness that was her big brother working at her high school, Ben backpedaled and narrowed his eyes at her. "What?" she asked, confused.

He pointed toward her cheeks, circling his index finger, "Why are you all flushed? Are you getting sick?"

"No," Jane responded. Behind Ben, Billy opened his mouth to speak but was silenced by a look from Jane. "I stayed after class to ask Mr. Hunter a question about our homework, and then I rushed over here so I wouldn't miss the bell." Ben tilted his head and reached toward her forehead with the back of his palm, but Jane swatted his hand away before he made contact with her skin. "Stop that!" she hissed. She scanned the hallway to see whether any of her classmates had noticed the scene.

"Fine," Ben said, "but I'll be watching you." He pointed his index and middle fingers at his own eyes, and then turned them toward Jane.

Just then the bell rang. "We have to go," Jane said grabbing Billy's sleeve and dragging him along behind her.

XXXXXXXXXX

With the exception of Carter plopping two Tylenol and a bottle of water down on her desk, no one at Donovan Decker noticed any change in Jane. Similarly, other than swallowing the pills and water she was given, she made no acknowledgment of any problem. She took Gray's calls, re-routed packages, fetched files, and managed the myriad of other tasks that landed in her lap. She may have moved a little more slowly and been less enthusiastic than usual, but she was more than resilient enough to head off any real questions from her co-workers.

Hours later, after a long day and what felt like the most jarring train ride of her life, Jane shuffled onto the platform at her stop. She nearly cried at the thought of climbing the stairs to the street level, but was finally able to reach the top with a lot of support from what she was sure was a disgustingly filthy handrail. She only had time to take a couple of breaths of outside air before familiar hands clasped her shoulders. She looked up at Billy and grabbed onto him, transferring her weight from the hand on the railing to the one at his elbow.

"You're not okay, Jane," he said.

"I know. I think I have food poisoning. My side is killing me," she admitted. "Just help me to the car. I want to go home. I need my bed. Now."

"Janie. . . ." he sighed. He bent so that she could drape her arm around his neck while he slid his arm around her waist. They only took a few steps, Jane tensing and inhaling sharply with each footfall, before stopping. "Give me your bag," he commanded. He threw the satchel over his left shoulder, and then with a look to Jane daring her to argue, he leaned forward, slipped his arm behind her knees, and scooped her up against his chest.

Billy was immediately struck by how hot Jane's skin felt. Now, even more worried, he rushed to the car and bundled her inside. Once he had rounded the car and climbed into the driver's seat, he pulled out his phone and called Ben, "I just picked Jane up from the train station and she looks bad," he said without preamble. He nodded as Ben talked into his ear, "Okay, see you there."

"It's not that bad, Billy. You didn't have to call him. Now he's just going to be all worried until I get home."

"You're not going home," Billy said starting the car. "Ben told me to take you to the emergency room. He's meeting us there."

A groan from Jane was his only response. As he pulled into traffic he hoped that it was a sound of protest rather than one of pain.


	4. Chapter 4

Chapter 4

Jane raised heavy eyelids and gazed around the room. Ugly wallpaper. Sink. Wall-mounted TV. Door with u-shaped handle. When she glanced down at the labeled bracelet on her wrist, and realized that she was indeed, in the hospital, she groaned, "Crap."

"Good morning to you too," she heard Ben say from behind her. She rolled onto her back, but stopped at a twinge of pain just above her right waist. She reached down and felt the bulk of gauze just above her hip bone and turned her head toward Ben instead. "You," he said leaning forward in his chair, "had appendicitis."

"Crap," Jane said again.

"Yeah, but the doctors said you're gonna be fine, they might even let you go home tomorrow." He caught her scanning the rest of the room and continued, "I sent Billy home so he could get some sleep and make it to school. He can't afford any unexcused absences while he's still waiting on a decision from Judge Pope."

"Right," Jane nodded, although she was still disappointed. "So tomorrow is the earliest I can get out of here?"

"Yep," Ben answered. "Anxious to get back to school already?"

Jane smirked sarcastically, "Yeah, something like that." She pointed to her purse and pushed herself into a seated position, "Can you hand me that? I need my phone."

"Why?" Ben asked without moving.

She looked at him as if he had asked her the answer to "1+1." "So I can call Gray. Tell her I can't come in today. See if there's anything I can get done by phone or online."

Ben shook his head. "No. I called and told them you were sick. Anything else can wait. You need to rest."

"Ben don't, okay. I'm fine."

"Are you?" he asked "If you weren't, would you even tell me?"

Though Ben's voice was low and calm, Jane heard the anger there. "What do you mean?" she asked.

"Your doctor said that along with the fever you came in with, and the vomiting Billy told me about, you were also probably in a lot of pain for the past few days. So while they were wondering why I didn't bring you in sooner, I was wondering why you didn't tell me."

Her cheeks flamed with guilt. "I'm sorry, Ben."

"We agreed. No more lies."

"I know, but I really didn't think it was a big deal," she rationalized. "I figured it was just a stomach bug."

"You still should have told me, Jane!" Ben stood and began pacing back and forth at the foot of Jane's bed. "The thing is, I think you would have if it weren't for this internsh-, this job. Tell me you weren't hiding being sick so I wouldn't make you miss work." Jane pulled her bottom lip between her teeth, but remained silent.

"Right." Ben continued, "I don't think this is gonna work, Jane. I know I said you could keep working, and a part of me thought I was doing the right thing, letting you pursue your dream, but I don't believe that anymore."

"Ben, wait! I know -"

"No, Jane. As smart and capable as you are, you're still a kid. You're still going to make mistakes, and that's okay, but I can't let you keep doing this. This job is forcing you to make adult choices—wellness vs. deadlines, truth vs. omission, career vs. family—choices that you aren't ready to make yet. I can't let you stay in a situation that I know you aren't ready to handle."

"No! Ben, I'm sorry. I swear I won't lie to you again," Jane's voice cracked as the words tumbled out. She and Ben both knew that the tears would soon follow. "I know you're mad, but please don't make me quit. Ground me. Take the car. Anything!"

He sat down on the edge of the bed to face her and wiped her tears. "Jane, I'm not doing this to punish you. I'm doing this because I want to protect you. I couldn't handle it if anything happened to you. I need you to stay safe, and right now, the best way I can keep you safe is to help you make good decisions or make them for you when I have to."

"So that's it then?" Jane asked. She wiped at her eyes angrily and leaned back against the headboard with her arms crossed.

"For now," he answered. "We'll get all the details figured out later. Until then, just calm down and try to get some rest."

"Right," she snapped.

"I really did want this to work out for you, Jane," Ben offered.

"Um huh," she nodded, "Can we—I'm tired. I'm gonna go back to sleep." She slid back down onto her pillow and turned over onto her side, her back to Ben.

"Okay," he said. He squeezed her shoulder and she felt the mattress shift as he stood. "Okay."


	5. Chapter 5

Chapter 5

Jane lowered her magazine as the door to her hospital room swung open. A nurse in purple scrubs smiled as she moved toward the bed. "I was hoping you'd be awake. I needed to check up on you but I didn't want to have to interrupt your nap." She lifted a clipboard from a slot on the wall and began scribbling notes before reaching for a pair of rubber gloves. "I'm Emily by the way."

"Hi," Jane smiled weakly.

Emily checked Jane's temperature, blood pressure, and bandage as Jane answered her questions with as few words as possible. "I know being sick sucks, and you're probably still in a little pain, but it looks like you're healing really well. I think you'll be able to go home tomorrow morning."

Jane appreciated the woman's attempt to cheer her up and, with a little effort, her smile was more genuine. "Thanks," she said. "That _is_ good to know."

Emily persevered, "You also have quite the handsome visitor outside. He's been waiting out your nap longer than I have. That's gotta be worth a real smile"

Jane rolled her eyes, "My brother. He's afraid to come in because he knows I'm mad at him."

"No, one of the other nurses just convinced your brother to go home and rest a couple of hours ago. The guy outside is a cutie in sneakers and a leather jacket." Her hands formed an upside-down "V" over her head as she continued, "Blond hair in some kind of spiky, mohawk thingy."

"Billy," Jane laughed, and then clapped her hands giddily. "Tell him to come in!"

Emily chuckled, "I will, just as soon as I'm finished with you." The nurse asked another round of questions as Jane fidgeted in her bed. "Alright. All set. I'll be back to check on you in a few hours, but just press the call button if you need anything before then." Jane watched as Emily walked to the door, pulled it open, and then beckoned Billy inside. Or what Jane assumed was Billy. What she saw as a gaggle of yellow and pink balloons hovering over denim-clad legs.

She giggled, "Hi, Billy!"

Emily slipped out the door as Billy moved further into the room. He set the balloons on the table, grinning. Ignoring the slight twinge of pain near her waist, Jane bounced onto her knees and wrapped her arms around his neck when he reached the edge of the bed. "I'm glad to see you're feeling better," he chuckled. He kissed her cheek as he pulled back, "You kinda freaked me out last night."

"I know," Jane said. She sat back down on the bed, legs crossed under her. "Sorry about that."

Billy pulled a stuffed, tan bunny from behind his back and held it out to her, "Forgiven. Well, as long as you promise not to do it again. Ever."

Jane smiled as she took the toy and propped it up on the nightstand next to her bed. "No more getting sick. Ever. Got it." She looked up at Billy, eyes wide and innocent, although her tone was full of sarcasm.

Billy snorted and nudged her over with his elbow so he could join her on the bed, "So when do you get out?"

"Look's like tomorrow, and then back to school Monday."

"Any irate calls from Gray yet?"

Jane fell back onto the bed with a sigh. Billy watched, confused, and then joined her, their heads side by side on the pillow. "I have no idea. My phone is dead, and I don't have my charger. I used the room phone to call in to the office and confirm that I would be out for a few days, but Gray's in Portugal until Friday so I didn't actually get to speak to her. I'm so dead. Well, I would be, if it mattered anymore, but since Ben's making me quit . . . ."

Billy propped himself up on his elbow to face Jane. "Wait, what happened? I thought he said you could keep the job?"

"He did, at the fashion show, but now he's changed his mind. He doesn't think I can handle it."

"Why?" Billy asked.

Jane waved her hands over her stomach and waist, "Because of this. He's upset because I didn't tell him that I wasn't feeling well, 'cause I lied. So I have to quit. I mean, how ridiculous is that?" Billy's mouth clamped shut as he avoided Jane's eyes. "What?" she asked. When he remained silent, she added a one word warning, "Billy."

Billy sighed, resigned to his fate. "You didn't see him last night, Jane. Even after they told him it was just your appendix and that you'd be fine as soon as they got you into surgery, he was a wreck. I don't think he's making you quit to try to make a point. He really is worried about you."

Jane was silent as she thought about Billy's words. As they sunk in, she turned her head to look directly at Billy. "You're supposed to be on my side," she sighed.

"I am on your side." He reached for her hand and laced his fingers with hers. "Always."


	6. Chapter 6

Chapter 6

After being released from the hospital on Thursday morning, and spending an extra-long weekend at home recuperating, Jane was set to return to school on Monday. That would also be the day she had to return to Donovan Decker to give up the job she loved. Both her and Ben's hurt feelings were healing, but he was still adamant that she give up her position as Gray's assistant. Jane was finding his point of view easier to understand, but she was still heartbroken.

When the school bell rang at 11:30 Monday morning, Jane stood slowly, and Billy stayed behind with her as she gathered her things. The classroom had all but emptied before Jane walked toward the door with Billy following. He leaned over her shoulder and whispered into her ear, "You're gonna be fine."

She nodded, and then spun to face Billy, "I'll talk to you later, ok." She grabbed his hand and gave it a quick squeeze before heading to Ben's office.

It felt odd to walk to the parking lot with Ben instead of Billy. It felt weird to ride into the city in her brother's car when she was so used to the train. She and Ben were silent during the drive; not upset with or ignoring one another, but both busy with their own thoughts. Ben, sure of his decision, was still struggling with having to play "parent" instead of being Jane's brother, and Jane was disappointed, remorseful, and petrified of what Gray's reaction would be.

Ben finally spoke once he had parked the car. "You ready?' he asked.

"Yeah," Jane answered.

The front desk receptionist, Portia, greeted Jane as they walked into the Donovan Decker offices. "Hi, Jane. We were starting to think you'd skipped out on us?"

Jane pasted on a smile to try to hide her discomfort, "Hi, Portia." She pointed over her shoulder, "This is my brother, Ben. Ben, this is Portia." Portia wiggled her fingers at Ben and then turned her attention back to the ringing phone.

Jane took a deep breath as Gray's office came into view. The back of the desk chair faced the door, but Jane could see the phone cord stretching from the desk. Just as she whispered to herself, "You can do this," Gray spun around in her chair and slammed the receiver into the phone's cradle. Jane stopped suddenly, intimidated just by the sight of the woman's face.

Ben turned when he realized Jane had stopped walking, "What are you—why are we stopping? What's happening?"

"I can't do this, Ben. She's going to skewer me . . . and maybe you too. Can't I just send her an email or something? A certified letter? An edible arrangement?"

"Nope," Ben answered. He moved behind Jane, and with his hands on her shoulders, gently nudged her toward the office. Gray was writing, head lowered, when they reached the door and Ben cleared his throat to get her attention.

"What?!" she barked still writing. When she received no answer, she stopped writing and lifted her face, annoyed. When she saw Jane, her expression changed to one of smug curiosity. "Jane. So you've come back." She glanced at Ben, "And you've brought a visitor."

Jane remained silent, mouth agape, so Ben began for her, "Jane has something she needs to tell you." He pushed Jane closer to Gray's desk, and then took a step back, his physical distance reminding Jane that this was her situation to handle.

"I ah . . . ." Jane began. Though she had practiced variations of her resignation dozens of times over the last few days, her words failed her.

"Yes, Jane?" Gray sat back in her chair, impatient and expectant, with her arms crossed over her chest.

"I can't—I mean, I need to—I'm sorry, Gray, but I have to resign. Immediately."

Gray narrowed her eyes and leaned forward to rest her arms on her desk, hands clasped. "Excuse me?"

"I can't work for you anymore, Gray. I have to quit." As she saw the telltale signs of Gray's building rage, Jane launched into a round of apologies. "I know you went out on a limb with me, and you've given me a lot of chances, and I'm leaving you in a terrible position. I'm so sorry. I wouldn't do this if-"

"Enough," Gray held up her palm. "You're quitting. Fine. Go."

"You need to tell her the rest, Jane," Ben called from his post at the door. Jane turned to him, her eyes pleading for a reprieve, but he shook his head.

"Gray, I'm quitting because I never should have been here in the first place. I haven't had any training in the fashion industry. I haven't been to design school. I'm 17 years old; I haven't even finished high school yet."

Gray was silent just long enough to make Jane even more uncomfortable, and then, "So you thought it would be fun to come play at being a grown up, see what it feels like to have a 'real job?'"

"No!" Jane exclaimed. "I came in to interview for the internship. They called me in, put me in your office, and told me to wait. I didn't realize you were interviewing me for a job until you offered me the salary, and then . . . I—I should have said something as soon as I realized, but I thought it was a chance to get more experience, and we needed the money, and the job was part-time so it seemed like it would work."

"And your family," Gray looked pointedly at Ben, "was okay with this charade."

Jane took a step to her right, putting herself back into Gray's line of sight, and pulling the woman's ire away from Ben. "He didn't know. I told my best friend, Billy, but no one else knew."

"I found out," Ben interjected, "right before the fashion show. I found out, and I told her she had to quit. Then I saw the show. I saw what an amazing job Jane did, how happy this all made her, and heard, from you, how well she was doing." He moved forward to stand beside Jane and continued, "I _was_ going to let her stay, but it recently became clear that talented or not, this is more than she can handle right now."

" _You_ were going to let her stay? What do your parents think of all of this?" Gray asked.

"I'm Jane's legal guardian," Ben answered, not bothering to elaborate.

"Look," Jane said, taking another step forward, "I'm the one who started all of this. I lied, I hid things, and I abused people's trust. As much as I'd love to stay, I didn't earn this position so I don't deserve to keep it. I can't apologize enough for what I did, and I know a 'thank you' from me may not mean much now, but I can't think of any other words to express how grateful I am for the wonderful opportunities I've had here. I wish that things were ending on better terms."

"Is that all?" Gray asked.

"Yes," Jane nodded.

"Fine. Goodbye, Jane." With those words, Jane knew that she and Ben were officially dismissed.

"Goodbye, Gray," Jane replied. She locked eyes with Ben, tilted her head toward the door, and they left without further conversation.


	7. Chapter 7

Chapter 7

"So it wasn't too bad then?" Billy asked. After their meeting with Gray, Ben had dropped Jane off at home while he returned to school for baseball practice. Now, Billy and Jane sat on her couch picking through Thai takeout containers.

"Oh, no, it was bad," Jane said, "But fortunately Gray was less homicidal, and more cold, soulless, bit-."

"Ouch," Billy grimaced.

"Yeah, well," Jane shrugged, "I'd imagined much worse." She used her fingers to pinch a clump of noodles out of the container in her lap and tilted her head back to drop them onto her tongue. "How was school after I left?"

Now Billy shrugged. "Pretty much the same as usual; Nick has mostly stayed out of my way for the past few weeks, but there was an awkward moment with Lulu right before 5th period. She asked if we could 'talk about it' again." He used his hands to make air quotes.

Jane set her food on the coffee table and shifted to face him, her ankles crossed under her on the cushions. "What'd you say?"

"I told her that I don't want to talk to her, that we don't need to talk, and that she doesn't need to apologize because we're done. For real this time."

"I'm sorry, Billy," she squeezed his hand. "I mean, I think she's evil, but I know you cared about her. I'm sorry you got hurt."

"Thanks, Janie." His eyes dropped to where their joined hands rested on top of her knee. When he looked up, she was smiling at him. "So now what?" he asked before the silent looks lapsed into discomfort. "You just quit your dream job, I've got a cheating ex who won't take 'no' for an answer, and we've already stuffed ourselves with enough noodles, rice, and spicy vegetables to feed a small army."

Jane looked pointedly at the television where uniformed players skittered back and forth along a hardwood court. "Something other than basketball. I let you have the TV while we ate, but as you've reminded me, we've both had a bad day and I want to see something else. Where's the remote?"

Billy glanced at the couch on either side of him, and then raised his empty hands, palms up. "Sorry. I don't know where I put it."

Jane narrowed her eyes. When Billy smiled and winked in response, she reached around him to wedge her hands between his back and the couch. Just as the fingers of her hand closed around plastic, Billy reached behind him and pulled the remote out of her grasp. They laughed as they continued to swat at one another's hands and Billy attempted to twist out of Jane's reach and off the couch. Instead, his maneuvers gave Jane the leverage she needed to pin him down on his back, with his hands underneath him. She grinned triumphantly as she looked down at him her hands braced on either side of his chest.

"You still don't have the remote," he smirked.

"True," Jane answered, "but I'm pretty comfortable here; I think I can wait longer than you can. Plus, you can't even see the TV from down there."

"But I can hear the announcers," Billy reminded her. "And," he lowered his chin to motion toward the minimal space between them, "I've got a pretty good view right here."

Jane looked down and realized that her position allowed Billy to look directly down her shirt by simply tilting his chin. She smacked him on his forehead before pushing herself up and off of him, "You're such a perv!"

"I'm not a perv," he said, also sitting up. "I'm a guy. There were boobs right in front of me. I'm not going to not look." Jane rolled her eyes. She started to speak again, but stopped when Billy's phone rang. He looked at the name on the screen, and then to Jane, "It's my lawyer."

Jane watched as he answered, "Hey, Shelly." He listened silently, and then Jane watched his expression shift from curious to apprehensive. "What time?" he asked. There was more silence, and then, finally, "Ok, I will. Thanks, Shelly. Bye."

As soon as he hung up, Jane asked, "What is it, Billy?"

"Judge Pope has a decision on my case. I go back to court on Friday afternoon."


	8. Chapter 8

Chapter 8

"Ben, have you seen my phone? I've looked everywhere!" Jane called from her bedroom.

Ben peeked through the open bedroom door and found Jane on her knees sifting through a pile of clothes next to her bed. He walked in, and once he reached her, dangled the phone inches from her face, "It was in the fridge, next to the orange juice."

"Thank you," Jane sighed.

"What's with you?" he asked.

"Seriously?!" Jane asked. "It's Friday. Billy's hearing is today."

"Well, you weren't this freaked out last time, and there's no reason to be this time. Billy's gonna be fine, Jane."

"I didn't have time to freak out last time. We picked him up from jail and he had his hearing the next day. I've had days to obsess over it this time, and as much as we hope Billy's gonna be fine, we don't know that that's what's gonna happen."

Ben squatted down so that he was closer to Jane's eye level, "Look, you're right. Anything could happen today, but I think if Judge Pope were just going to send Billy away he would have done it during the first hearing. The fact that he took this much time to look at the case makes me think that he knows there's more to Billy than this one mistake."

"That makes sense," Jane conceded.

"Good," Ben stood. "Now, I have to meet with Ms. Shaw before class, but I've already talked to Vice Principal Jenkins about you leaving early with me. I'll meet you and Billy in the faculty parking lot at 2:30."

Jane nodded. "We'll be there."

"All rise. Court is now in session. The Honorable Judge Pope presiding." Jane and Ben watched from the first row of seats as Judge Pope entered the courtroom and took his seat on the bench.

Judge Pope began speaking immediately after taking his seat. "Mr. William Nutter appears before this court on charges of breaking and entering and criminal trespass. He has stated that on the night in question he acted of his own accord. However, his brother, Thomas Nutter, who was also arrested in association with the previously mentioned offenses, has entered a guilty plea in criminal court. In his pleading, Thomas Nutter testified that William was not present at the time the building was entered, and only arrived after receiving a phone call from his brother. In addition, security footage shows that the vehicle Mr. William Nutter was driving did not arrive on the premises until after the building's alarms had already been triggered. I do not believe that Mr. William Nutter participated in the unlawful entry of the property in question, but I do believe that he chose, against his better judgment, to enter onto what he knew to be private property. Therefore, I find Mr. William Nutter not guilty on the charge of breaking and entering, but guilty on the charge of criminal trespass."

Jane gasped at the guilty verdict, and Ben draped his arm around her shoulder to soothe her as Judge Pope continued. "Although he is 17 years of age, and therefore outside the usual jurisdiction of juvenile court, based on his previously inactive record and the non-violent nature of his offense, Mr. Nutter's case has been reviewed under a pilot program known as Adolescent Diversion Program, or ADP. This court has also received a number of positive character statements from Mr. Nutter's employer, guidance counselor, and teachers. Therefore, under the ADP, I hereby sentence William Nutter to 160 hours of community service. Mr. Nutter, I do not want to see you in my courtroom again. Is that understood?"

"Yes, sir," Billy nodded.

"Good. Court is adjourned."

Jane waited until Judge Pope left the courtroom before leaving her seat and bolting into Billy's arms. "I'm so happy for you, Billy!"

"Thanks, Janie," he replied, arms tight around her. He only released her when Ben approached to offer a congratulatory handshake.

After Judge Pope's ruling, Billy left for home with Jane and Billy. As disappointed as he was that his mother hadn't attended either of his hearings, Billy did ask Ben to drop him off at home so that he could let her know how things had turned out.

"So what's the deal with Mrs. Nutter?" Ben asked Jane after Billy got out of the car.

Jane shrugged. "I haven't really spent any time with her since Billy and I were pretty young. She seemed normal enough from what I can remember. After Billy and Tommy's dad got arrested, Billy started hanging out at our house more. From what Billy's told me, his Dad's arrest led to Mrs. Nutter finding out about a lot of stuff Mr. Nutter had been hiding from the family, she divorced him, and she hasn't really stopped being angry since. Throw Tommy's antics in on top of all that, and now this . . . ." Jane trailed off.

"That sucks," Ben offered.

"Yeah, it does," Jane replied. The car approached their house, and Ben slowed as they passed the mailbox so that Jane could roll down her window to retrieve the mail. She began to sift through the envelopes as Ben pulled into the driveway. "Oh, my God!"

Ben slammed on the brakes, "What?!"

"Ohmygod, ohmygod," Jane continued to mumble as she stared at the stack of envelopes in her lap.

"What? What?!" Ben barked.

Jane held up a large, white envelope and pointed to the return address at the top right corner. "It's from Parsons and it's heavy!"

Relieved by the grin on her face, Ben lowered his head with a chuckle. "We have got to work on your penchant to overdramatize," he said as he parked the car and removed the keys from the ignition.

"This is Parsons, Ben!"

"Okay," he said, "rip it open."

Jane tossed the other mail into Ben's lap and began working her fingers along the seal of the envelope she held. She pulled a letter and filled portfolio from the envelope and began to read, "Ms. Quimby, On behalf of Parsons The New School for Design, I am pleased to inform you that you have been accepted to the School of Fashion." She looked up at Ben. "I did it! I'm in!"

"Congratulations, Janie!" Ben reached over the center console to pull her into a hug, "I knew you could do it."

"I can't wait to tell Billy!" she said.

In his house, Billy sat on the couch twiddling his thumbs, literally, while he waited for his mother to arrive home. He heard her keys in the lock at the same time his phone began to ring; he silenced the ring from Jane's incoming call and placed the phone back on the coffee table, face down.

Kathy Nutter stopped abruptly when she found her son waiting for her in the living room. "Oh, I didn't think you'd be home already. Did the judge continue your case again?" She made little eye contact with Billy as she shut the door behind her and placed her keys and purse on a lamp table next to the couch.

Billy stood, "No, Mom. Tommy kept his promise. He told them the truth about me during his hearing. Judge Pope found me not guilty of breaking and entering. He gave me community service for the trespassing charge."

"Well, I'm glad Tommy did the right thing for a change," she said. Billy remained silent. He was as frustrated with Tommy's track record as his mother, but he was grateful to his brother for standing up for him when it mattered. "So you have a record now too?" she asked.

"Technically," Billy told her, "but it's in juvenile court, so once I finish my community service, it shouldn't ever come up again. It won't hurt my chances to get into schools, or to work; nothing like that."

"Until you get in trouble again . . ." Kathy allowed her loaded statement to trail off.

"I'm not going to get into trouble again, Mom. I swear."

"You don't think I heard that from Tommy?" she asked. I can't count the number of apologies and promises I got from him. And when I think about your father-"

Billy jumped in to defend himself, "I'm not Tommy, and I'm definitely not Dad! I'm sorry they lied to you, but that's not what I'm doing. I made a mistake, but I know better now. I'm staying out of trouble, okay?" His mom closed her eyes and shook her head. "Mom, I'm serious." When she still didn't look at him, Billy tried again, "Mom?"

"Sit down, Billy. I need to tell you something."

"Have you heard from Billy yet?" Ben called over his shoulder. "I'm kind of starving over here."

Jane tossed him a tangerine from the bowl on the kitchen counter. "No, but I left him a message and told him he should come here by 6:30 if he wants to ride with us to dinner or just meet us at the restaurant after."

"Did you say anything about Parsons?" Ben asked.

"Nope," Jane smiled. "I want to tell him in person." Seconds later the doorbell rang. "That's him!"

"I'll get my keys," Ben said ducking back into his bedroom.

Jane jumped up and bounded to the door. Unable to contain herself, Jane announced "I got into Parsons!" as soon as she opened the door to Billy. Then seeing his face she asked, "What's the matter?"

"My mom's kicking me out."


	9. Chapter 9

Chapter 9

Author's Note: Elizabeth Bennet belongs to Jane Austen.

"What?" Jane asked. She pulled Billy through the door by his hand as she continued to pepper him with questions. "What do you mean? Why? You told her how well court went, right?" Once they were inside, she led Billy to the kitchen table and called out for her brother, "Ben!"

"Yeah? Oh, hey, Billy." Jane's wide eyes alerted Ben that something was up before the boy responded. "What's wrong?"

"Billy's mom kicked him out."

"Whoa," Ben sighed.

"Yeah," Billy nodded.

Jane stared back and forth between them, shocked by their seemingly calm reactions. "Okay, well, he can stay with us for now. Right, Ben, and then—"

"Janie, wait," Billy interrupted. "I'm good for now. Or as good as I can be, I guess. She said I can stay until graduation, but I'll be eighteen by then, so after that I have to be out."

"Why is she doing this?" Jane asked.

"She says she's had enough—the stuff with my dad, and with Tommy. She says she thinks she gave them too many chances and she can't handle going through the same thing with me."

"This is completely unfair! You're not them!"

"Aren't I?" Billy asked. "I knew what Tommy was doing when I went to pick him up. I knew what could happen, but I did it anyway."

Ben spoke up here, "You made a mistake, Billy. There's no denying that, but it was one time. You made one mistake, and you did it to help your brother. I'm not excusing what you did, but this one mistake doesn't make it okay for your mom to give up on you. You deserve better."

"Yeah, well . . . ." Billy shrugged, resigned.

"He's right, Billy," Jane joined in again. "Your mom is wrong. Ben, can't you talk to her?"

"No," Billy cut in before Ben could respond. "If she doesn't want me there, I don't want to be there, and I won't be any longer than I have to. I'm gonna find a place and I'm gonna leave. I already have enough money saved for at least a deposit and the first month's rent. After graduation I can pick up some more hours at the club or get a second job. I'll be fine."

Ben nodded his understanding. "Well, let me know if you need help finding a place, or a reference, anything." He clapped Billy on the shoulder and stood, "How about I order some pizzas and we celebrate here? Save the night out for another time?"

Billy shook his head. "No, we should still go out. Jane got into Parsons. That's huge! We should be celebrating," he said.

"And regardless of what Billy's mom thinks, we're gonna celebrate him, too," Jane added.

"Okay then. Let me get my keys and we can head out," Ben said.

Jane rolled her eyes. "I thought that's why you were in there before."

"My phone rang," he called over his shoulder, "I got distracted." Jane shook her head with a chuckle.

"I really am happy for you, Janie," Billy said nudging her with his shoulder, "I'm sorry all my stuff almost ruined your day."

"You don't have to apologize," she replied. "We both have something to celebrate and we get to celebrate together. That's all that matters." She kissed him on the cheek and used her thumb to rub the lip gloss off his face as she grinned up at him.

By the following Monday, Jane's excitement over Parsons and anxiousness about Billy had subsided just enough for her to focus during class. She slid into her seat in Mr. Hunter's class just before the bell rang, and began searching her bag for her notebook and a pen.

"Alright," Mr. Hunter began, "you should all be through the first volume of Pride and Prejudice by now. So tell me, which characters have we met so far?" Silence. "Anyone?" A hand shot up in the corner of the room opposite Jane. "Yes, Harper."

"Is this gonna be on the final?"

Mr. Hunter sighed, "Yes, Harper." He then walked back to the whiteboard. "Okay, back to characters. Let's start with Elizabeth Bennet."

He stopped when Ms. Shaw stepped into the room. "Sorry to interrupt, Mr. Hunter, but I need to speak with Jane."

"Sure," Mr. Hunter said. Jane gathered her things as Ms. Shaw beckoned her forward.

"What's up?" Billy leaned over to whisper.

Jane shrugged and stood, "No clue."

Ms. Shaw smiled when Jane stepped into the hall, "It's nothing bad. You can take a breath." Jane nodded. "Let's go to my office," Ms. Shaw continued.

Jane could see Ben standing in the counselor's office through the open blinds; however, she stopped short when she walked through the door and saw who else was waiting inside. "Gray?"

"Hello, Jane." Gray sat in one of the chairs opposite Ms. Shaw's desk and motioned for her former assistant to take the other. Jane turned to Ben first and only sat after he gave her an encouraging nod.

Gray began speaking immediately. "I got a call last week from someone in admissions at Parsons congratulating me on my intern's acceptance. The call was unofficial, of course, and Portia failed to get any real information from them, but based on that acceptance, and after speaking with Ms. Shaw here, it turns out I was right about you, Jane. You are definitely cut out for the fashion business."

"Thank you, Gray. It means a lot that you would say that."

"Yes, well, considering that, and the fact that you seem to be the only person who can manage my affairs with any measure of competence, I'm offering you the chance to continue working with me."

Jane shook her head, sure she had heard incorrectly. "You want me back? At Donovan Decker?"

"Yes, Jane."

Still shocked and slightly confused, Jane looked over her shoulder to Ben and Ms. Shaw. When Ben only smiled and gave her a thumbs up, Ms. Shaw jumped in. "You would go back now as an intern, 15 hours per week, no salary. Your work hours will be monitored by me and someone in HR at Donovan Decker. After you graduate here, you'll transition into the company's work study program with Parsons."

"But I could go back?" Jane smiled.

"That's up to you, Jane," Gray said, pulling the girl's attention back to her. "Do you want to come back to work for me or not?"

"Yes, of course I want to come back!"

"Fine," Gray said as she stood. "I'll see you tomorrow, Jane." She turned as she reached the door and added, "Congratulations," with just the trace of a smile.


	10. Chapter 10

Chapter 10

Due to her excitement over going back to Donovan Decker, Jane was able to forget that she would be returning to an office full of people who knew the truth about her. For months they had believed that she was an adult peer, but she would return as a high school intern. She became aware of her new status, however, as soon as she arrived.

"Hi, Portia," she smiled. "Gray's gonna be in late today, right? Have any packages come in for her?"

"Oh, hi," the receptionist answered slowly, obviously uncomfortable, "Yeah, there's one package, but . . . um, you know you have to check in with the intern coordinator in HR before you start work every day, right?"

"Yeah, sure," Jane answered, trying to sound nonchalant. "So, I'm just gonna stop by HR, and then I'll be back for Gray's package."

On her way through the office, Jane caught more than a few curious glances, some followed by poorly concealed whispers. She did her best to ignore both what she saw and heard, but after visiting the intern coordinator, Leslie, Jane hurried back to Portia to pick up Gray's package and then rushed to her own desk to distract herself with work. Hoping that the talk would die down once the novelty of her return wore off, Jane resigned herself to a few days of awkward seclusion.

She braced herself for more discomfort when she ran into Carter in the line for the coffee cart. She approached him from behind and tapped him on the shoulder timidly, "Hi."

When he turned, he shook his head as a smile crept up. "Jane Quimby. High school? Seriously?" He continued before Jane could open her mouth to offer a defense, "You're even more fabulous than I thought. It's good to have you back."

"Thanks, Carter." She leaned forward to whisper, "I haven't been getting the most welcoming vibe from people today."

Carter rolled his eyes. "The gossiping here is just as bad as it was before you left. Some people were saying that you took a job at Modern Empress with Miyoko Sato. I also heard that Gray caught you and her cougar cub, that model—what's his name . . . Brad—together and fired you. Oh, and the best, you took off on a three-day bender with Piper Grace and got arrested for public nudity."

"Oh my god!" Jane gasped.

"Yeah, and since Gray didn't bother to tell everyone what the real deal was, some of them are still going on whichever version of the story they liked best."

"Well, no wonder they're looking at me like I'm some kind of freak," Jane sighed. By this time they had drifted toward a table and seated themselves. "When did Gray tell you? When I left or when I agreed to come back?"

"After she asked you back. Gray didn't tell me though, Jeremy did. She told him and he told a handful of us who he thought needed to know, the people you had worked with the most—me, Birdie, Portia . . . ."

"What did Jeremy say?" Jane asked.

"Just that there was a misunderstanding when you were hired as Gray's assistant and that you'd be coming back as a high school intern."

"No, I mean, like was he angry or annoyed or—"

Carter shrugged. "I couldn't really tell. I haven't talked to him since he told us. What did he say to you?"

"I haven't talked to him yet," Jane said. "Actually, I haven't seen him at all today, which is weird, because before I left he—"

Jane stopped when Carter tilted his head to signal something happening behind her. "There he is," Carter said.

Jane turned at the same time that Jeremy looked over to the table, and they made eye contact. She smiled and stood to walk towards him, but he turned sharply and rushed back into the building. Jane turned back to Carter with her mouth open, dejected.

"Tough," Carter winced.

Jane finished her break with Carter and used the time to quiz him about Jeremy's behavior. By the time they left the table, Jane and Carter had decided that she would keep her distance from Jeremy for the time being so that he could have the space he apparently wanted. Once she reached her desk, Jane tried to focus on her work and stick to the plan, but she wasn't able to hold out long.

Jane watched from her desk as people buzzed in and out of the Creative Department. When she finally noticed a lull in the activity, she watched for a few more seconds to see if anyone would pop back in, and then walked over to Jeremy's work table. "Hi."

Jeremy barely glanced away from his work, "Hi."

Prepared for the rejection by his earlier reaction, Jane forged ahead, "Do you have a minute? I'd really like to talk."

Jane reached for Jeremy's shoulder to turn him toward her and was shocked when he jerked away, "Don't."

Hurt by his brusque response, Jane backed away, "I'm sorry."

"Wait. I didn't—" Jeremy dropped his pencil and finally faced Jane. "Look, Jane, I don't mean to hurt your feelings, but you have to know that things aren't going to be the same with us as they were before. They can't. I can't." He leaned forward and lowered his voice, "You're 17! Do you realize there are places where I could have been arrested for pursuing you the way I did, even though I didn't know how old you were?"

"But nothing happened!" Jane said. "I made sure—that's why nothing ever happened."

"I know that and you know that, but you know how people talk here, Jane. This could be really bad for me. I'll look like an imbecile, or worse, a dirty, old man. I think it would best if we start keeping things entirely professional and only work with one another when it's absolutely necessary, okay?" Jane nodded. "I hate that it has to be this way, but I really do think that it's the best for both of us."

After her conversation with Jeremy, Jane returned to her desk to finish up her work and wait on Gray. When Gray finally arrived, she immediately rattled off a list of demands and tasks that kept Jane busy for the rest of the afternoon and left no time for introspective musings. The train ride home, however, allowed her plenty of time to make up for it. By the time she got off the train at her stop, she had worked herself up into an emotional stew of guilt, confusion, and disappointment. Her spirits only lifted when she reached the street and saw The Beast parked by the curb. She peaked into the passenger side window, "What are you doing here? I thought Ben was picking me up tonight?"

Billy grinned at her from the driver's seat, "He was, but I offered to do it instead. I wanted to hear how your first day back went."

Jane sighed, "Awkward." She opened the door and slid into the car. "Apparently there have been all these crazy rumors going around about why I left, so most people are treating me like some kind of returning circus freak, and the people that know the truth . . . . Well, Carter's been great, Portia and Birdie are warming back up, and Gray is Gray, but . . . ." Jane shrugged.

"But?" Billy asked.

"Jeremy," Jane answered. When she caught Billy trying to hide a grimace, she realized her mistake, mumbled, "Never mind," and tried to change the subject, "Let's go to The Rack. I want nachos."

"No, finish what you were saying. What about Jeremy?" Billy returned.

"It's fine, Billy. We don't have to, you know, whatever . . . ."

Billy unbuckled his seatbelt and turned so that his face and body were towards Jane. "This job, this world, these people," Billy sighed, "this guy, they're all important to you. You wanna talk about them. You're my best friend, so I listen. Spill."

Jane smiled, "Well, Jeremy feels uncomfortable around me now that he knows how old I am. He's afraid people are gonna think he's some kind of creeper who trolls for teenagers, so he wants me to keep my distance."

"And you like him, so . . . ."

"Well, a little, yes, but it was just a crush. I didn't really want it to become a thing; that's not the problem. It sucks because I really liked working with him and I was learning a lot, and now, well, that's probably over."

"But there are other people at Donovan Decker you could learn from, right? Isn't Gray really supposed to be the one mentoring you anyway?

Jane rolled her eyes, "Yes, but we both know Gray isn't really the "mentor" type."

"Well, that was before; she didn't know how much you have to learn. She knows the whole story now. Give her a chance; she might surprise you."

Jane nodded. "When did you get to be so smart, Billy Nutter?" she asked, tapping his chest lightly with her finger.

Billy brushed his fingers across his shoulder and smiled, "Long time ago. Just trying to stay humble, you know?"


	11. Chapter 11

Chapter 11

Author's Note: "Not Sure Yet" is by Andy Lange.

Billy tugged at the Windsor knot at his throat as he waited in the living room for Jane to finish getting ready. The final days of his and Jane's senior year had steadily ticked away, and now they were down to the last 3 weeks before graduation and that spring institution of the American high school experience: Senior Prom.

As much as Billy loved spending time with Jane and seeing her all dolled up, a small part of him had hoped that their trip to the winter formal would absolve him from the fuss of participating in prom. He had been sorely mistaken, however. Now he sat, clad in white tie and tuxedo jacket, black pants and shirt, and black and white sneakers, and he waited.

Ben chuckled as Billy shrugged out of his jacket, slung it over the back of the couch, and slouched into the cushions. "If you really didn't want to go, you should have just told her," Ben whispered.

"It's not that I'm absolutely against it," Billy said, "I just kind of feel like 'been there, done that,' you know?" Billy leaned forward and lowered his voice before continuing, "Besides, she did that thing. You know how her eyes get all wide and . . . she fluttered her freaking eyelashes at me, man! What was I supposed to do?"

"What were you supposed to do about what?" Jane asked.

"My, uh—," Billy stopped before he could even finish thinking of a lie to tell Jane. He and Ben both looked up to find her standing just outside her bedroom door. She had pulled her curls up and back, but left just a few framing either side of her face. The silver baubles in her ears matched the tiny spheres and rings circling her neck in an alternating pattern. Aside from the necklace, her neck and shoulders were bare since she had chosen a strapless dress. The cobalt fabric crisscrossed from Jane's chest to waist, hugging her petite frame, but from the waist down, tiny pleats created slight volume and the skirt swayed lightly with her slightest movement. She had opted for a cocktail-length dress rather than the traditional floor-length prom gown, so the bottom of the dress stopped a couple of inches above her knees. The silver shoes she wore added two to three inches to her height, but were otherwise little more than thin straps around her ankles, behind her heels, and across the tops of her feet.

Both young men stood, but Ben was the first to speak, "You look beautiful, Jane."

"Thanks, Ben," she answered. Then she turned to Billy, "So what do you say, Nutter? I won't embarrass you too much tonight, will I?"

"No way!" Hearing the awed exuberance in his own voice, Billy cleared his throat to mask the change in tone and volume before speaking again, "You look gorgeous, Janie."

Jane beamed, "Thanks, Billy, you're pretty dapper yourself."

The two friends endured a few seconds of awkward silence and bashful glances before Ben cleared his throat with a knowing smile. "Alright, let's go over the rules again."

Jane snapped out of her connection with Billy to roll her eyes, "Ben! We get it! We are not going to do anything to your car!" Since Ben hadn't been asked to chaperone the prom, Jane had managed to talk him into letting her and Billy borrow his car so they wouldn't have to take The Beast, but his agreement had come with a list of restrictions. Ben dangled the keys from his index finger and raised his eyebrow expectantly. Jane sighed, "Fine. No speeding."

"No texting," Billy added.

"No extra passengers," Jane resumed.

Billy chimed in again, "No valets."

"No street parking. No food. No drinks. No distractions," Jane rattled off. She held her palm out to Ben as she finished and he nodded, satisfied, and dropped the keys into her hand. "Thank you, Brother," she said with a hug and a smile. Then she turned to Billy, grinning, "Let's go!"

Billy shrugged into his jacket as Jane headed outside. "Just a second, Billy," Ben called just as Billy reached the door.

"Yeah. What's up?" Billy asked.

Ben clapped Billy on the shoulder, "I just wanted to say that even though I've known you almost your whole life and you're like family to me, Jane _is_ my baby sister, so if anything happens tonight I'll have to—"

"Whoa," Billy said holding up his hands and backing away.

Ben chuckled, "I'm just messing with you. You're just about the only guy I would trust her with. You two have fun."

"What did Ben want?" Jane asked when Billy joined her outside.

"Nothing," he said smiling and shaking his head. "Who's driving?"

Jane pointed down to her feet, "You see these shoes, right?" She tossed the keys to Billy before climbing into the passenger seat.

They were both inside with their seatbelts buckled when Billy reached for the gear shift then let his hand drop. "I almost forgot," he said.

"Forgot what?" Jane asked as he unbuckled his seatbelt to dig through his pockets.

He handed her a flat, square box. "Open it."

She lifted the lid to find a bracelet made of candy tarts. She giggled and unbuckled her own seatbelt to reach across the center console and pull him into a hug, "Thank you, Billy." He had given her the candy jewelry every Valentine's Day until sixth grade when some classmate or another caught on to their tradition and the teasing had sent Jane to the bathroom in tears.

He saw the glimmer of tears in her eyes now and launched into an apology, "I'm sorry, Jane. I thought about a corsage, but this made more sense to me at the time. Please, don't cry. We've still got time to stop somewhere and get flowers,"

"No!" Jane shouted. "It's perfect!" She dabbed at the corners of her eyes to stop the tears from spilling over her lids, "You've got to learn, Billy Nutter. The ladies don't only cry because things are bad; sometimes we cry because things are really awesome."

Rather than having dinner at a fancy restaurant, Jane and Billy stopped for burgers from their favorite food truck at Whitemarsh Park. They sat at a picnic table and people-watched as the sun moved closer to the horizon, and after they ate, they had an impromptu photo shoot with their cellphones. They even managed to get passersby to snap a few poses for them. They only left the park when the automatic lights began to flicker on as it got dark.

The prom was being held in the ballroom of a resort hotel about 20 minutes from Whitemarsh. The prom committee had chosen the theme, "A Night in Paris" so as Billy and Jane crossed from the hotel's lobby into the ballroom they were surrounded by yards of white twinkle lights, draped black tulle, and a 9-foot replica of the Eiffel Tower. Billy leaned down to whisper in Jane's ear, "Doesn't quite compare to the real thing, huh?"

"Not quite," she smiled up at him, "but I'm with you this time." She reached for his hand and gave it a squeeze. "C'mon!" She pulled him into the line of students waiting to have their picture taken by the photographer the school had hired. Minutes later they stood in front of a backdrop featuring a wrought-iron park bench and lamp post, Billy behind Jane with his arms clasped around her waist as the photographer had instructed. They waited as he adjusted equipment to accommodate their height and coloring, and then counted backwards from three. As he said "one" Jane stepped forward and blew a kiss toward the camera while Billy crossed his arms over his chest and leaned back with a smug grin. They burst into laughter after the bulbs flashed, and missed the photographer's exasperated sigh and eye roll as he waved the next couple in front of the camera.

"I love this song!" Jane giggled as she practically bounced onto the dance floor. The DJ's next selection wasn't as beloved, but was catchy enough to keep the couple dancing along to the beat. As the songs transitioned seamlessly from one to another, Jane and Billy stopped dancing just twice, the first time to deposit his jacket and her hand bag at a makeshift coat check manned by the chaperones, and the second for sips of water. They were finally forced to take a break when the music stopped so that Ms. Cartwright, the faculty advisor for the prom committee, could make announcements.

They drifted from the floor toward an empty table, but Jane pulled Billy's ear down to her mouth before he could sit down, "Ladies' room. Be right back." Billy nodded his understanding and settled into a chair to wait. Jane managed to make it through the line for the bathroom without much of a wait, and was on her way back to the ballroom when she heard her name.

"Jane, hey!" She turned to see Nick following behind her.

"Oh. Hi, Nick," she replied. In the months since she had found out about Nick kissing Lulu, Jane's disappointment had all but disappeared. However, because they had rarely spoken since they stopped seeing one another, the slight awkwardness of their pre-winter formal conversations had returned.

"You look nice," Nick offered.

"You too, Nick." As the seconds ticked by without further response, Jane began backing away and pointed over her shoulder. "Well, it was good to see you, but Billy's waiting so . . . ."

Nick smiled awkwardly, "Yeah, I saw you two come in together, so I guess it's official." Jane opened her mouth to speak, but Nick continued, "I'm not angry or anything, not that I'd have a right to be even if I were." Nick heard himself rambling and backtracked to start again, "I just—I mean, I guess I didn't see it before because I was so focused on dating you myself, but you and Billy make sense; no guy calls a girl who's just his friend, 'amazing.' Not the way Billy said it anyway."

Jane narrowed her eyes, confused, "What do you mean?"

"Before I asked you out, I thought maybe you and Billy were together so I asked him about you."

"Oh, no," Jane answered, realization dawning, "Billy and I—"

"I know you weren't with him then, but when we talked—he told me you were beautiful, smart, and amazing. At the time I didn't really think about what that meant coming from another guy in your life, but now it makes sense." Jane stood in silence, mouth slightly agape. Nick, apparently taking her silence for discomfort, started his own verbal retreat, "But, yeah, um, I should probably get back to my date, too. See you around Jane." Jane nodded distractedly and turned back toward the ballroom.

She walked back to the table where Billy waited with her stomach fluttering, but just before she reached him, Billy looked up and winked at her. That small gesture and the grin he flashed were enough to make her forget that she had anything to be apprehensive about. Billy was her best friend, wasn't it his job to speak well of her? "What'd I miss?" she asked as she slipped into the chair next to him.

"Nothing really," he shook his head. "The voting for king and queen ends in half an hour, crowning 30 minutes later, and the photographer's leaving after that."

"Did you vote?" Jane asked while slipping a cup of punch from his hands and starting to sip.

"No," he shrugged. "You?"

Jane shrugged and handed the cup back to Billy, "No, but I may. Just in the interest of having another vote for someone other than Lulu."

Billy laughed, "Really, Janie?"

"What?" She asked, feigning innocence. When Billy raised an eyebrow in mock judgment, she conceded. "Fine, I'll be the bigger woman," she paused briefly for emphasis, "but that doesn't mean I want to be forced to watch any more of Queen Lulu's reign over her subjects."

"Agreed," Billy nodded.

"One more dance and we go?"

Jane giggled as Billy stood and extended his hand in an exaggerated bow, "My lady."

"Sir Billy." She curtsied and let him take her hand to lead her onto the dance floor.

As if on cue, the beats of the top 40 pop song faded away to a slower song that opened with an echoing pulse followed by the strumming of a guitar. Jane looped her hands around Billy's neck and he wrapped his arms around her waist as they swayed along with the opening lyrics: _I'm not sure yet/About life/About love/But in time/I'm sure it'll all be fine._

Jane rested her head against Billy's shoulder while his cheek lay against her hair. The verses of the song gave way to a wordless chorus that allowed Jane's thoughts to wander and ponder her present contentment, Nick's words from earlier in the night, and the unspoken tension that was beginning to appear between her and Billy more and more often. She stood up straight to look him in the eye, "Can I talk to you about something?"

"Anything."

"I bumped into Nick on the way back from the bathroom. Apparently, he assumed since we're here together tonight, that we're _together_ together, and he . . . he said that you told him I was amazing, and beautiful."

"He . . . I . . . what?" Billy stammered and avoided Jane's eyes, struggling to follow the rhythm of the song and regain his composure at the same time.

"Billy?"

He gave up avoidance, and looked back down at her. "I also said that you're smart."

"I know," she smiled. "Did you mean it?"

"Of course I meant it, Janie. Every word."

"And that night you showed up at the fashion show and said, 'It's you,' what did you mean then?"

"I meant," Billy paused. "I meant that it's always you, Jane. When I'm excited about something, you're the first person I want to tell, and when I'm bummed out, you're the one I know I can count on to help me out of it. I always want to be with you, and when I'm not, I'm thinking about you."

Jane choked up at his words, but tried desperately to hold back her tears; she didn't want to cry for the second time in less than 6 hours. "Why didn't you say that before?" she asked.

"Because you looked so scared that night, like you knew what I was going to tell you, but like you didn't want to hear it. Plus, that Jeremy guy was there and I wasn't sure what was going on with you two. I had kind of showed up there on impulse, but I lost my nerve before I could actually tell you how I felt."

"I _was_ scared, Billy, I was afraid things might change too much, but I still wish you had told me. It might have helped me figure out my feelings a lot sooner, and we could have saved a lot of wasted time."

"What do you mean?" he asked.

"It's the same for me, Billy. It's always you." Jane pulled his head down so that their lips met. They stopped dancing as the kiss deepened and their focuses shifted from their feet to one another.

Jane tensed as she felt Billy pull away, but she dismissed her fears of rejection when she saw the reason. Mrs. Chase, Whitemarsh's septuagenarian civics teacher, stood behind Billy with her hand on his shoulder and a censuring look. "That will be enough of that," she said. She waved her hand toward Jane gesturing her to back away from Billy, and Jane complied. Satisfied, the chaperone walked away in search of more rule breakers.

As soon as the woman was out of earshot, both Jane and Billy started to laugh. "Come on," he said, taking her hand again. "Let's get out of here."


	12. Chapter 12

Chapter 12

The drive home had been the same as so many other rides Jane and Billy had shared, except it had started with the two lip-locked over the center console before leaving the prom venue's parking lot. They had only stopped when approaching voices reminded them that many of their classmates were headed to cars to make their own way home. Happy, but still unsure of their new status, the two had agreed it would be simpler to keep things to themselves for a while. When they reached Jane's house, the lights burning inside alerted them that Ben was likely waiting up for Jane's return, so they had opted to skip a third make out session in the driveway.

Once they were inside, they greeted Ben, thanked him, and reassured him that they had followed the rules for his precious vehicle. Still, he had insisted on heading outside to check the car himself. Now, as they waited for him to finish his inspection, they sat on the couch with their fingers tangled together. "This feels weird," Jane said.

"Good weird, I hope," Billy smiled down at her

"Yes, good weird. Definitely good," she answered.

Ben walked back into the house before Jane and Billy could get any further into their conversation and Jane and Billy dropped each other's hands. "Good job, guys. Of course, I'll have to give it another once over in the daylight, but it looks good."

Jane's head fell back onto the couch in exasperation, "Ben! We didn't do anything to your car!"

Ben shrugged, undeterred, "I'm still checking."

"Whatever," Jane sighed while Billy laughed.

"Good night," Ben headed into his bedroom and closed the door behind him.

"I think he knows," Billy said as soon as Ben closed his bedroom door.

"Knows what?" Jane asked.

Billy pointed to Jane then back to himself, "This. That I've been making out with his sister."

Jane chuckled and shook her head, "No, he doesn't."

"You sure?"

"He left us out here alone, didn't he?"

"Right," Billy grinned. "So now what?"

Jane looked over her shoulder toward Ben's door and then smiled and kissed Billy again. "We hope he falls asleep really quickly."

The next morning Jane awoke on the couch to the sound of coffee dripping into the coffee pot. She lifted her head from Billy's shoulder and slowly unfolded her legs from where they were tucked underneath her. Billy remained asleep, head back against the cushions and legs stretched to the coffee table. Fully awake now, Jane could hear Ben moving in the kitchen, but waited until she reached the counter to speak so as not to wake Billy. She slid onto a stool and leaned toward the coffee maker. "Did you make enough for the whole class?"

Ben poured a mug full of coffee and placed it in front of Jane. "Consider this a 'thank you.'"

Jane tilted her head, confused, "For what?"

"For being the type of teenager who comes home after prom and falls asleep watching television with her best friend, versus, you know . . . ." Ben shuddered at his unspoken thought.

"Oh, well, you're welcome," Jane replied. She used her coffee cup to hide her smirk as she remembered the kisses and wandering hands that had preceded her and Billy's slumber.

She popped back to the present as Ben started speaking again. "I'm headed to a practice with the JV team, and I'm having lunch with Rita afterwards. You have any plans for today?"

"Not really, but I'll probably just be with Billy. Like always." She took another sip of her coffee and grinned.

*The End*


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